As far as the pop singer is concerned, the more people who know the better. Lovato — who plays the BB&T Center on Friday night with Nick Jonas — is on a mission to help others.

The 23-year-old Confident crooner opened up to American Way magazine, telling the in-flight publication that she started thinking about weight as a toddler because her mother (a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader) was severely conflicted about food. The magazine reports when Lovato was in diapers she would look at her big belly and wondering when it would be “flat.”

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“Even though I was 2 or 3 years old, being around somebody who was 80 pounds and had an active eating disorder, it’s hard not to grow up like that.”

In 2012, Lovato, who had abusing prescriptions meds, entered a treatment center for bulimia and bipolar disorder and lived in a sober house the next year.

“I didn’t go into treatment thinking, OK, now I’m going to be an inspiration,” she said. “At times, I was resentful for having that kind of responsibility, but now, it’s really become a part of my life. It holds me accountable.”

About Madeleine Marr

Former fashion and food writer Madeleine Marr joined the Miami Herald in 2003. The native New Yorker's celebrity coverage includes features, interviews, events, red carpets, premieres, award ceremonies, style, news and gossip in the South Florida area and beyond.